1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements to radio telephone devices with an automatic answering function.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the use of telephone devices such as cordless telephone devices increase, it is demanded that such devices; have an automatic answering function. In response to this, radio telephone devices with an automatic answering function has been proposed. Such a radio telephone device has been disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Applications Sho Nos. 59-144366, 112375, and 62-55545.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a portion of such a radio telephone device related to the automatic answering function, as shown in the Application '545. This radio telephone device includes a base unit 1 and a radio telephone 2 with the base unit 1 being connected to a cable telephone line 3. The base unit 1 includes a radio telephone line connection determining means 84, a recording guide sending means 85, a recording control means 86, and a recording means 87 for realizing the automatic answering function.
In the arrangement, when an automatic answering mode is set in the base unit 1 and there is no need for calling the radio telephone 2, or when the radio line connection determining means 84 determines that a radio line cannot be established between the base unit and the radio telephone 2, the determining means 84 generates a determination output signal which operates the recording guide sending means 85 to thereby send a guiding voice signal to the cable telephone line 3. If the sending of the voice signal is completed, the recording control means 86 is operated so as to record the an addressee's voice with the recording means.
The radio telephone devices disclosed in the Publications '366 and '375 are also constructed such that the base unit record the addressee's voice.
In this arrangement where the base unit 1 records the addressee's voice in an automatic answering mode, recording of the voice during the automatic answering made possible even if the battery in the radio telephone 2 is used up because the base unit 1 operates with a commercial AC power source.
However, since the recording means 87 is provided in the base unit 1, the speaker (not shown) in the base unit 1 must broadcast the recorded voice in order to be heard.
Since the base unit 1 is connected to the cable telephone line 3, the position of its installation site is limited. For example, in order to hear the recorded voice, it is necessary for the addressee to go to the base unit 1. Therefore, it is very inconvenient to ascertain the recorded matters.